Cinnamon Apple Muffins are so scrumptious and full of warm cinnamon and crisp apple bits and finished with a cinnamon sugar topping. Favorite bakery style muffins recipe with amazing flavor and aroma, perfect to enjoy anytime.
And believe me, when autumn rolls around, these babies are in high demand.
In reality, they are perfect as a year-round breakfast treat, but for some reason, I immediately associate them with cool autumn mornings with all that cinnamon and apple deliciousness they have in their favor.
And luckily, these babies definitely have lots going on in their favor!
These cinnamon apple muffins use just one apple to make a dozen muffins, but if you prefer more apple bits in your muffins, by all means, I’d increase it to two. Dice them small so that the pieces of apple aren’t overwhelming when you take a bite of muffin. You want every single bite to be well-balanced in flavor and texture.
What Apples to Use for Cinnamon Apple Muffins?
You can use whichever baking apple you prefer. I like to use Braeburn, Rome, Jon Gold, Gala, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, and SweeTango apples in these muffins. I also like that when I bite into the apple pieces, I still know that it is apple and not make me think it is applesauce or apple butter included. Don’t you?
Along with apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, you’ll just need some butter, milk, baking powder, salt, and eggs. The classic ingredients for a cinnamon apple muffin, I think. Nothing weird here.
Once the muffins are in the oven baking, I like to brown a little bit of butter and mix together a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Then, once the muffins have cooled slightly, I dip the tops of the muffins into the slightly warm brown butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Talk about perfection!
Amazingly enough though, folks don’t just eat the tops of the muffins and then forget about the sweet little base. They gobble the whole thing up it’s so well balanced in flavors.
But, just in case you were wondering, you can skip that indulgent little coating on the top, but I seriously recommend you don’t.
These muffins are so easy to make ahead so you can have this delicious muffin when ever you want.
Freeze instructions: You can make these muffins ahead and store them in an airtight container for a couple of days or freeze them to keep them longer up to 3 months. Just cool the muffins completely, wrap them in 2 layers of freezer wrap so they are airtight and place them in the freezer. You can also freeze them after you add the topping.
To Reheat: You can either let them thaw at room temperature or heat them frozen, unwrapped in the microwave, or wrapped in foil in the oven. If you want, you can wait and add the topping after you reheat them.
Other Favorite Muffin Recipes
More Muffin Recipes
Here’s my Cinnamon Apple Muffins. Make them soon.
Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, + 2 teaspoons for coating apples
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, + 1/2 teaspoon for coating apples
- 2 cups diced apples
- ½ cup unsalted butter, , room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray muffin tins with bakers spray or coat well with shortening or butter and flour, making sure to discard any excess flour from the tins after coating.
- Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix 2 teaspoons flour with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss diced apples with the flour/cinnamon mixture to coat apples in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other. Mix in vanilla.
- Gently fold in flour mixture, alternating with milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in diced apples and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare topping for muffins while the muffins are baking by melting the butter and allowing to cool slightly. Pour butter into a separate bowl sized easy for dipping tops of muffins. Mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Once muffins have baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the muffin tin. Then, remove each muffin and brush the butter on with a pastry brush (or dip into the melted butter) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place onto a plate to finish cooling.
Notes
The original recipe called for a 1 to 1 mixture of sugar and cinnamon. If you prefer a less cinnamon flavor in your topping, reduce the mixture to 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Love this website so much beautiful recipes and yummy food
Just cooked some they taste so lovely. I would recommend it 4 and a hall stars. I LOVE COOKING !!!!!!!!
So do I need to coat the diced apples with cinnamon? You didn’t mention that in the recipe :/
Also, can I use shredded apples?
Hi – I’m excited to try this recipe for a meeting and wondering whether or not anyone has made it using mini-muffin tins. Do you think it would work?
I just made them in a mini muffin pan today, and they are amazing. The only problem was that I had to make two batches, so I go 48 mini muffins. I decided I needed two pans for a regular muffin recipe, each with 24. That way I can bake them both at once. I think I baked them for about 15 minutes. They came out bite-sized and delicious.
I have never baked a muffin in my life before today, and I am glad I found your recipe. I wanted to do something different than my usual cookies, bars and brownies since I am trying to go healthy(er). I subbed coconut oil for butter and cut out the topping with the exception of a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and they are glorious. Thanks!!!!
Great muffins. Topping definitely adds. I agree with previous comments – I used 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon and it was way more than enough. An 1/8 cup of each and 1/4 cup of butter is plenty.
These are faboosh! Yum! Couple questions. In the ingred’s I see a mention of a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to mix with the wee bit of flour and diced apple, but didn’t see the reference to adding that wee bit of cinnamon to the apple pieces in the instructions.
I omitted that step as I wasn’t sure, they were awesomesauce anyway.
And, the 1/2 cup of cinnamon for the topping was sooooo strong it overpowered the sugar, so I ended up adding 3 times the amount of sugar before it finally diluted enough to be usable. I have a lot left over for future muffins lol. But I cannot imagine how 1/2 cup of cinnamon to 1/2 cup sugar could possibly work. My cinnamon is just a regular kind, but its sooo strong. There wasn’t even any sweet to it when I mixed 1/2 cinnamon and 1/2 c sugar. Explain how yours worked?
Only used half of the called for diced apple too as I ran out, and it was perfect that way too. Might have had too much apple for me the regular way. Who knows. I’ll try it the right way next time.
Anyway, I figured it out so that it worked for me, and baked it at 375 in my convection oven at only 20 mins. 30 would have made them like pucks prolly.
A couple of construction dudes were installing a door for us when I was baking them. The smell was driving them crazy. I made them coffee and gave them each a couple of these muffins out of the oven, freshly topped with butter. They said it was like warm apple pie sugar donut.
I’d say that a thumbs up!
What a great recipe thank you.
I have made these 3 times in the last two weeks. I cannot keep them around because everyone is eating 2 or 3 of them at a time, me included!! I will be making these over and over!
Wow. Made these today, they are fantastic. I ate 6 of them! Looks like I’m in trouble if I can’t control myself.
Thanks for sharing Robyn.
Yummo!!! Great recipe… I switched granulated sugar for brown sugar in the batter and turned out delish! Love the topping… very cinnamon donutty.